Michael Sam didn't have to look further than his own family to find a homophobic reaction to his public coming out on Sunday. Though friends and teammates have known about the NFL prospect's sexual orientation for some time, his father, Michael Sam Sr., found out with the rest of America on Sunday.

He was celebrating his birthday at a Denny's outside Dallas when his son sent him a text.

"Dad, I'm gay."

The message ended the celebration for Sam Sr.

“I couldn’t eat no more, so I went to Applebee’s to have drinks,” the father of the biggest headline maker in the country told the New York Times. “I don’t want my grandkids raised in that kind of environment. I’m old school. I’m a man-and-a-woman type of guy.”

Sam Sr. went on to add that Deacon Jones, an NFL Hall of Famer celebrated for his perceived toughness, "is turning over in his grave" because of his gay football-playing son.

Still, the conflicted dad told the NYT that he loves Michael and hopes he makes it into the NFL.

Lucky for us, the at-home homophobia seems to have only emboldened Sam Jr. in his effort to be a game changer.

His Dad just found out. It takes some time to grieve the loss of who he thought his son was and then accept the "new reality". His father will come around or he won't. Michael would have been better served giving his dad a few days before he told the world. My parents took a few years to become comfortable with me being gay. I hope Mr. Sam just needs time to adjust.

I've been asked about why gay people have to "come out".His dad's reaction gives you your answer. Here is a father who would rather have a phony son who he really doesn't know and who pretends to be someone else, than to have the successful real son that he has now.

Most parents would just hope that their kid was happy. I'm sure when his son starts getting those big NFL paychecks (and countless endorsements and media deals for gay advertising), he'll be more than happy to help spend his son's "gay money".

There's a reason we use the code "is he family" to ask if someone is or isn't gay. We use it because if he's gay, he's part of our family - regardless of how intolerant his own family will be. We're from all walks of life and our community will welcome him.

"I said was he sure, and he said he was," the 55-year-old disabled truck driver said. The two men talked about the athlete's decision to tell the world about his sexuality. “I asked him about his career and everything, and he said he was just going to do it," the father said. "And I said, OK then. He's in control and he's grown. No matter what, he's my son and I still love him."
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/02/10/michael_sam_s_father_says_he_was_shocked_and_supportive_of_his_son_s_coming.html

If this is the way his family feels then Michael Sam is an even braver man than I first imagined! But I think we need to give Michael Sr. a chance to digest this news before pronouncing him an intractable homophobe. He's been taught to fear gays and if he's never been close to an openly gay person, he's probably never had the opportunity to realize that what he's been taught was wrong.